Airship.



J. R. PROBERG.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 4, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

'l SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Snuentoz J-. 3. PRO BERG.

AIRSHIP.

APPLICATION 1 OOT- 4, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

7 SHEEN-SHEET 3.

fluemtm:

J. R. FROBERG.

AIRSEIP.

APPLIOATIOE FILED 00w. 4, 1909.

' 998 8Q Patented Jul 25, 1911 "l SHEETS SEEET 5.

wanna:

J. R. FROBERG.

AIRSHIP.

APPLIOATIDN 11.21) 0014, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

7 SHEET88KEET 6.

J. PROBERG.

AIRSHIP. APPLICATION FILED OOT- 4, 1909.

Patented July 25, 1911.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

3140a" lion V. 4- attoenmao 'rn sta rs 'rnn'r enrich.

Joi'miv RICHARD FROBERG, or GOLDFIELD, NEVADA.

AIRSHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ltatented July 25, 19111.

Application filed October 4, 1909. Serial No. 520,503.

- dirigible lighter-than-air type and one of its objects is to provide amachine of this charactor carrying a fixed quantity of gas under all(renditions, means being utilized whereby any proportion of the gas canbe stored under pressure outside of the main gas eontainer. and wherebythe gas can be readily witlidrawn from or directed into the maincontainer either for the purpose of elevating or lowering the machine orfor maintaining auni'torn'l altitude undcrchangeableclimatic conditions.v

Another object is to provide an air-ship havimg the main containersubdivided into compartments provided with valved means forestablishing; communication therebetween and whereby dillerentquantities of gas may be held within the various compartments so as tosupport the deck thereof in a substantially horizontal position irre-.-;pective. of the location of the center of gravity thin-cot.

Another object is to utilize the frame and tloors oi the car for thepurpose of storing gas under pressure, certain portions of the framebeing also used for the storage of motive fluid.

A still further object to utilize pivotally supported motors each ofwhich is designed to drive a nroneller. means bcins )rovlded wherebvsurplus fuel discharged from the motors in a heated condition can bequictlv and thoroughly cooled and subsequently directed into the fuelstorage tank.

Another object is to provide means whereby the exhaust; gases from theengines can be utilized for the purpose of heating the gas within themain container, means being employed for establishing a circulation ofthis gas around and past the tubes carrying the hot exhausted gases.

Another object of the invention is to provide adjustable controllingplanes whereby the movement. of the machine in an upward or downwarddirection can be controlled, these planes being provided with meanswhereby the gas stored Withinthe main container can be cooled.

A still further object is to provide improved means for connecting themain con-- tai'ner o the car, this means including an envelop designedto extend over said eontaincr and which can be adjusted to receivecontainers of ditferent proportions, according to the load to besustained.

\Vith these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out in the claims. I

In the accompanyin drawings the pre tel-red form of the invention hasbeen shown.

in said drawing-s, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an air ship embodyingthe present improvements. Fig. 2 is a top planvi-civ thcreot', a portionof the main container and the parts thereunder being broken avay. Fig. 3is a vertical longitudinal section through the machine. Fig. 4 is atransverse section through the central portion thereof. Fig. 5 is a planview of the car and of the parts connected thereto. the gas containerand its cradle and envelop being rcn'ioved.

Fig. (3 is a longitmlinal section through the main ne container showin Tthe valve controlling tubes of the'eopializiing mechanism.

Fig. 7 is an elevation 0t said equalizing mechanism and of the tubesextei'iding therefrom and a portion of the main container shown insection. Fig. 8 is a plan View of a portion of the deck of the ear andshowing the condenser and certain of its connections and two of theengines. Fig. 9 is an enlarged transverse section through the car at theinner end of one of the end decks and on the line A-B oi Fig. 5. Fig. 10is a vertical longitudinal sectionv through the end por lieu of one sideof the car and showing the fuel cooler and the gas heater inflection.

Fig. 11 a central vertical longituz'linal see tion through said endportion of the cal. Fig. 12 is a side eleyation of one of thenontrolling planes. thereof. i is a side elevation oi the longitudinalshaft of the motor shitting lneehanism and ot the parts em'inveledthere- Fig. 15 is a section on line -ll 14. and showing the slidablemotor a uating bar complete. 1 in. 16 is a se a n on line EF of .4..Fig. l? W an Nation of one of the engines and ot' connections with thegas heater. Pie. '1 tea vertical longitudinal seetion through one endportion ot said heater. Fig. 1f a detail view of one of the Conneetionsbetween the inner tube and the outer tube oi the-main gas container.Fig. 20 a longitudiual section through a portion of the ear tubes 3.Said standards 1 are also eoinieetm'l by intermediate side tubes 4- audintermediate transverse tubes longitudinally ertending lop tubes 6 aresecured upon the upper ends of the standards 1 and ext l de sireddistanees beyond these standart the outer ends of these t p tube; havingvertical end tubes 7 (*XlICTHliUQ downwind therefrom to the Forward endsof bottom inclined tubes 8 erttendina' from the ends of the tubes 2.lntern'iediate side tubes 9 extend trom the upper ends of the tubes 8 tothe standard it, the said tubes 9 being in alinei'urnt with theintermediate side tubes 4. An intermedia e Yertiral tube ll) eonnei earnineliued ube 8 with the top tube ll then-val ore and is also Connectedto a lube t n "'old tube 1! eonneets the upright in l l at points abovethe tube 9. the saautonslitutine a railing and being rennet-ted with thelube therebelow by means of a series of shru't upright tubes 1).

iv referring to l'i it) it will be seen that a partition I} is loeatedwithin avh tube 7 dir rtly above the iuanitold tube ii and anotherpartition i4 is loeated within the tube 10 above said manifold ll. Moreoer a partition 1!? is arranged within tube 10 at a i point below thetub- Y! and that end oi said lnlw f) 0])(tlllllfl iiu'o ll stand:rounded by a rem-pin ll) wli ed within said standaid 1 and has a:allilliflll pipe l'liexten liug therefrom for the purpose hereinafterset "forth. 'ubes flu: end (-oiuu-etr-d by transver ely lh'l-illillllifi and lower tubes l and i9 whieli \",!')!l. the top and bottom membersol :1 raili said numbers being eoinuw-led by upi 13 is a trout elevation,1

which can if desired be hollow and open into the tubes 18 and 19 for thepurpose hereinafter set forth.

A tube 21 connects the intermediate y r-ti "al tubes 10 and is disposedin the same plane with the tub s 9, this tube 21 being braved by andconneeted to inclined truss tubes which are secured to and open into thebottom inclined tubes 8. A hollow floor or platforrr 23 is secured toand supported by the tubes 9, 19 and 21 and a hollow bridge Q lextendsfrom this floor 23 along the longitudinal center of the machine to thetube 5 which serves to support one end thereof. The hollow bridge 24opens into the tube 5 and it will be apparent therefore thatcommuuiealioi'i is thus established between the said tube 5 and thehollow bridge or deck 23, bridge 2% and standards 1, as Well as theother tubes 2, 4-, 6 and 8 opening into the standards 1. The tube 21..while extending continuously from one tube 10 to the other at oppositesides of the car, has a central partition 25 (see Fi JQO) and it will beseen therefore that the interior ofone half of the tube 21. of the tube11, the tube 9 and those portions of the tubes 7 and 10 between thepartitions constitute a eoml'iined fuel storage anh and eooler as willbe hereinafter partie ularly pointed out.

A sulistantially semi-circular support 26 is mounted on. and extendedlaterally from each of the intermediatestandards 1 of the l (a r and ahydro-carbon. engine 27 is mounted thereon to more about a verticalaxis, each of these engines having a propeller 28 connected to the mainshaft 29 thereof. is shown partieularly in Figv 17 the pivot 30 aboutwhirh the engine moves; ean be in the term of an exhaust pipe extendingfrom the engine and owning" into a fixed tube 31.

.in arm 39 secured to and extends radially "from the revoluhleexhaustpipe 30 and constitutes a crank onflwhieh is pivotally mounted theangular end 3 of a eross bar A rarlc 535 is arranged along the centerportion of the Press bar and meshes with a gear 38. One o'l these nearsis secured to n 1 l t v .L each end or a longitudinally extending shah2K? and said shaft is ournaled 1n bearings 38 r'XtOl'Hl'iYig downwardfrom the upper deck i) of the middle iortion of thecar this 11' perdeel-r being hollow and supported by the tubes 4 and 'lvlo1'eover saidhollow deck opens into thptubes 4 and at desired points solhat thecontents thereof ean readily flow into the tubes. A worm gear 4.0 issecured to the lon ntudinal shaft 3" at any suitable point thereon andis actuated by aworm 41 mounted on a Yer-heal shaft 42 which etctendsthrough the deck 39 and has a'erank p f to the upp r end lllii'vfl'l thf us the worm i I, the shaft. 37 ran be rotated'aiul 1 0 or othersuitable as ,uating device 43 serured The parts are so arranged and u'oortioned that, by rotating type harry the'bars 34 shiftedlongitiu'linally so as to simultaneously shiftthe engines about theirvertical axes. In this connection attention is directed to Fig. of thedrawing, wherein it will be seen that the engines at. each side of thecar are oppositely disposed, the propellers at one end ot the machineserving to draw the same forward While those at the other end thereofexert a pushing action. By simultaneousiy shifting the bars 3-4- thesaid propellers can all be swung toward one side ot the machine in orderto exert a pulling and pushing action along intersecting lines. thisobviously resulting in turning the entire machine, the radius of thecurve described by said machine being de 'iendent upon the angles of theshafts to the longitiuliual axis of the machine.

Eat-i oi the extensions or supports 36 constitutes a platform which canbe reached from the upper deck 39 by steps 4-4 and steps 4- 3 air-1olead from the upper deck down to the lower deck to which is mounted onand secured to tl e tubes 2 and This lower (lC'I'h' is. tuition andhereiore' constitutes a gas rrntainer, the same opening into the tubeswhich support it. Hollow railings 4-7 are mounted along thev sides ofthe lower 6' l: and open thereintoainl these railings also constitutegas containers.

Each of the engines 27 oi the usual a s1ipplennuital reservoir there--on into which th igu d fuel is directed tron'i the euppiy tent; and apipe conducts the surplus or overt tow motive tiuid from this reservoirto a' hollow railing 49 located aiong one side of the bridge 24adjoining the. engine. this railing opening into that portion oi" the ad'ioining vertical tube it) disposed between the partitions. I4- and 15.in this minnection see Figs. 10 and ll of the drawings 'lhe. railings oithe upper deck flit-are termed ot" horizoi' tally extending water tubes50 each series of tubes opening at one end into a manifold tube 51 andat its other end into a water tank 552 into which the em 'hausl' gasesfrom the adjoining engine are disrharged through the pipe 31 heretoforereferred to, See Fig. 17. gas condu ting pipe 5 3 t.. litlitieontinuowly through the tu es 0 and one end thereof i con-- nected tothe eas-pmup at which is located upon one o!" the deehs ol' the car. Apipe 5 5 al o extends from the pipe 51") to one of the standards) and apipe 56 extends from pip-e 52, to cooling apparatus which will behereinal'ter de cribed. it is of eour-e to be understood that the condnser is'in eominunication with the main gas container through a pipe 5?.Que heater such as herein described is providml for each engine and allof said heaters c iperate to form the side railings oi the upper deck.The ga pump comnnmicaies with a ll of these heator rod 70.

ers so that gas can be forced into them simultaneously. A suitablearrangement of valves is provided whereb the gas is prevented from goinginto the pipes 55 and. 56 while. the gas-pump is in use for the purposeof forcing the gas into the heaters. These valves have been indicated at58 in Fig. 8. Additional valves 59 are utilized for cutting oft theheaters from the gaspumps. As heretofore stated each tube or pipe 53 isconnected at one end to a gaspump. The other end of each tube may beattached to the main gas container in any preferred manner as by meansof a tube (30.

A hollow rock shatt 1 is n'iountednpon the tubes l] at each end of thecar and each rock shaft projects beyond the sides of the car andsiu'iports the controlling planes of the machine. These planes arearranged in pairs, there being an upper plane 2 and a lower plane (33,the said planes each consisting of a rectangular frame ()4 formed oftubing and having a covering (35 of fabric or other suitable materialsecurt-ad thereon. The front and rear ends o't' each frame are connectedby longitudinallv extending intermediate tubes- (iti and all of theseinterrwdiate tubes as well as the side tubes are connected by a seriesof verticallv extenda u 0 "l mg pipes 67 forming radiators, those of thepipe 67 arranged along the transverse center of the planes being incommunication with the hollow rock shaft (it. Brace Wires (S8 may bearranged dian'ietrically between the upper and 'lower planes so as toprevent the same from being distorted or changing their relation to eachother. Upwardly converging hollow arms (is) are secured upon each rockshaft ()1 and a longitudinall'r extendin hollow actuating tube or rod 70is pivotally connected to the upper ends of these arms of both shafts.there being a flexible tubular connection between the end portions ofthe arms and the rods as iiulicated at 71. this connection serving as a.means for directing gas from the tube 70 to the arms 69.- The tubeor rod7t) is connected to the gas-pi nnp by means of the pipe 56 heretoforereferred to. this pipe being preferably flexible so as to permit theneces ary longitudiinil movement of the tube A lever 79 supported in theupper portion of the. car and is pivotally connected to the tube or red70 there being a toothed segment 73 or other suitable means for lockingthe lever in any position to which it may be. adjusted. By shifting thislever the two rock shafts 61 can be simultaneou ly swung upon theirpivots and all of the planes thus shifted at the same time and in thesame direction.

A series of longitudinally bowed cross l ams 74 is supported on the toptubes (3 or the ear, onch of'the'se beams being provided at each endwith an outwardiy curved arm extending uneer the adjoining tube 6. Thesaid beams 7% form a cradle to support. the main gas container 76 ot themachine. This container is pretcrably in the form of an elongatedmetallic cylinder having onical ends, the interior of the cylinder beingsubdivided by partitions 77 into separate compartments as shown1n1rticularly in Fig. 3. A centrally disposed inner tube 78 extendsthrough all of the partitions and is attached at its ends to the endpartitions '77, there being valve'd openings 75) within the inner tubeand through which communication is established between said inner tubeand the respective compartments within the main as container. The valves80 utilized for closing these openings can be. controlled electrically,pneumatically, or in any other preferred manner from a controller 81located upon one of the decks of the car, this mechanism being of anywell known type such as is supplied for opening valves located at adistance. In the present instancethe means for ett'ecting this actuationpneumatically have been indicated in Figs. 6 and 7, the

tubes 82 fol-directing air under pressure to open the valves, helngshown extending from the controlling mechanism 81. By means of thismechanism it isdesigned to place any one at the compartments incommunication with the inner tube and that permits a portion of the gascontained in one compartment. to flow therefrom and into the inner tubeand thence to one or more of the other compartments. he pipe 57 whichserves to supply to the condenser from the main gas container; opensinto the inner tube as indicated at 57 and the return pipe 60 from thegas heater also opens into this inner tube as shown in Fig. 6.

Each partition 77 is preferably riveted or otherwise secured to anannular Tiron 83 secured to the inner surface of the main coutainer 76and having apertures in which are secured the ends of spokes S-t. Thesespokes extend into lugs 85 outstanding from the inner tube 78 andconstitute elh'cicnt means for not only holding the inner tube in properrelation to the partitions and outer tube. but also bracing the entiregas containing body so as to prevent it from buckling or otherwisebecoming injured from any cause.

The means employed for securing the main gas container upon the cradleconsists of an envelop 88 the longitudinal edges of which are disposedclose to the top tubes 6 and are fastened thereto by shrouds 97 whichare laced through the edge portions of the envelop and are wrappedaround the said tubes 6. That portion ot the envelop above the middledecks of the ear is connected by shrouds 88 with the lower tubes 3.l\toreover the said ehvelop is preferably connected to the arms 75 0fthe cross beams 7%,

decks or platforms.

by means 0t threaded rods 89 connected by turn buckles 90. llytightening these bucklcs, the envelop can be drawn tightly around thegas container and said container held firmly upon its cradle. Moreoverthis envelop can also be additionally held by the shrouds 87 and 8S.

Zach ot' the engines 27 is provided with a pump attachn'ient wherebyfuel contained within the receptacle 16 can be elevated7 thrmigh thesuction pipe 17 to the engine.

.\s heretofore stated, and as shown in the. drawings, there is oneengine locatedtank supplies a receptacle from which a suction pipeextends to the exhaust. It is also to be understood that the variousarrange ments of tubes heretofore set forth are duplicated at the twoends of the car there being a bridge extending from each end of themiddle upper deck to the respective end;

All of the tubes of the car, with them;- ception of those constitutingthe gas heater, the fuel cooler, and the fuel tank, are in-communication with each otherand with. the hollow decks, these tubesand decks thus constituting a vast storage tank in which gas may be heldunder pressure for an emergency.

It: is to be understood that before making an ascent all of the'gasstorage tubes and platforms as well asthe gas container 76 are chargedwith gas after which a. sutticient' quantity of the gas contained withinthe container 76 can he withdrawvn therefrom and condensed within thecontaining tubes constituting the framework so as to prevent the machinefrom making an ascent. Thiswithdrawal ot the gas from the conta ner 76andits con'nu ession withln the tubes and plat-- torms of the car, iseffected by the gas-pump 54. \Vhcn it is desired to make an ascent apredeternnncd quantity of the compressed gas is perniitted 'to tiowthrough the gaspump to the co ntamer 76 until the same is machine isturning, have been shown but. it is to be understood that. when themachine is travelingin a straight course the shafts of the propellers ateach side of the car are disposed in alineinent. 15y shifting the leverthe upper and lower planes 6), 3 can be moved to any desired inclinationrelative to the horizontal and can thus be utilized for the purpose ofdirccting't-he car upwardly or downwardly Without changing the quantityof gas contained Within the container to.

has heretofore been pointed out the spent gases discharged from theengines are directed into water contained within the ctmipartmcnt 52 andquickly raise the temperature thereof, and inasmuch as the pipest'zontaining used for elevating, purposes, pass through the Water tubes52, it will be apparent that whenever a circulation of gas is set upthrough the tubes 53-, said gas can be readily heated. v This isespecially desirable under certain climatic conditions, While underother conditions itis desirable to cool contained within the; main container 76. To effect this result the gas is Withdrawn from the container76 and directcd by the gaspu np through the tubes 56 to the rod '70 andthence by way of the flexible tubes Tl tothc arm 69 and rock shaft tilfrom which the gas is distributed into the tubes constitui ing theFramework of the controlling planes. The air passing between and aroundthe various tubes of the planes will quickly cool the warm gas containedwithin the tubes and the gas-pump can then be utilized forrctin'ningnthis gas to the con taincr 7t; at'tcr which another quantitycan be retrieved therefrom and the foregoing operation repeated. itbeing obvious that the temperature of the gas within the container 76will be materially reduced each time a portion of it has been directedinto and re turned 'l'ron'i the coolers in the manner described.

As has been ht-iretol't'ire pointed out there is more or loss,\'cess'n'iotive lluid discharged ,l'ron: the engines and this fluid isdirected through the pipcs 48 to the railing tubes 4-H and thence to thetubes ll 'l'roin which the fluid flows d-rnrnward through the tubes X)to the tubes 9. llurinn' this tuieration the said tubes a re cooled: bythe atmosphere surrounding them and the said fuel is therefore reducedin temperature and returned to the tank which is lorincd ol tubes 5).

l cn it is desired to descend it is not ncce-ary to all w a portion ofthe gas to escap from the container its as heretofore. lnr-t rul the gaspump is et in motion so as to rcnio'; a desired quant ity of as l'romthe container and compress it within the storan'c tubes constituting thecar l'ratne. The gas thus stored can be used at" a l'uture time tor[)I'tltilkllllf-I ascent, merely by returning it to the container T6.

If desired, and as shown especially in Figs. 1 and :2, steadying wingsor planes 91 may be extended late ally from the conical terminals of thecontainer 76. Also, if de-- the turn buckles, the envelope 86 can beloosened from the container 76 and another con ta incr of a greater orless capacity can be placed Within the envelop and held by tighteningthe shrouds and the turn buckles.

All parts of the container, envelop and car, are preferably formed oflight sheet metal.

It is designed, for the purposes of Willfare, to arrange turrets 93 atthe sides of one or more of the decks.

It is to be understood of course that various changes may be made in theconstruction and arrangement of the parts ofthe machine Withoutdeparting from thespirit or sacrificing of the invention.

What IS claimed is:

any of the advantages 1. An air ship including a gas container,

a car supported thereby, an engine upon the car, Water tubes upon saidcar and constituting a railing, a tank opening into said tubes, meansfor directing exhausted gases from the engine and into the tank to heatthe Water, and a gas-conducting tube extending from the container andthrough the water tubes.

2. In an air ship, the combination with a. gas container, and a carsupported thereby, of controlling planes movably connected to the car,tubular connections between the planes, said connections communicatingand constituting coolers, means for directing gas from the container tothe coolers, and means for shifting the planes.

3. In an air ship, a car including standards and side members connectedto the topsof the standards, cross beams having forked ends straddlingsaid members and snpported thereby, each beam having terminal arms. theupper faces of the beams being concnved longitudinally to constitute acradle, a nontloxihle gas container bearing upon the corn" ca 'cd facesof the beams, said beams being arranged at intervals throughout thelength of the container, and a flexible envelop extending over andbearing upon the container, and adjustable connections between saidcnvelop and the arms.

4. An air ship including a gas container, a car, Water tubes, an engine,means for utilizing exhaust gases from the engine to heat the water. anda gas conducting tube extending from the container and through the watertubes.

in an airship, the combination with a gas contuirfor, of spaced planes.tuhulm' connectionbelweon the planes, said connections connnunicatingand comtiluting coolers, and means for directing gas from the con tainerto the coolers.

(3. In an airship, it our including flt'flfi .membors, cross beamshaving forked owls '1 Straddling said members, such beam having termmalarms, a non-flexlble gas container hein'lng on the beams, and beamsbeing arl l l l i l l t intervals throughout the length miner andadjustable connections hutwocn the c'mtuinor and the arms.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my mm 1 have hereto ntfixeclmy signa- 5 ranged a of the co tum in tho preF-onoo of two witneaws.

JUIQ H RICHARD FRODERG.

V. DOYLE, J. E. PREINKERT.

